The Save Dreamland
Campaign has launched its vision for a new Dreamland, called 'I Dream of
Dreamland'. The new
Concept Plan
has been produced by leading international theme park designer Jean-Marc
Toussaint and has been backed by one of the prominent operators hoping to
acquire Dreamland.

Campaign Leader, Nick
Laister, said: “We have known for some time that there is serious interest from
established theme park operators in acquiring Dreamland and investing in the
park. The only thing that has stopped this happening is Thanet District
Council's last-minute change to its Local Plan, which had protected the
Dreamland amusement park. Without that policy in place, the value of the site to
property developers has significantly increased, making it very difficult for
amusement park operators to acquire the site. Margate's very future as a seaside
resort is now at stake. The Save Dreamland Campaign is constantly looking for
new ways to show decision-makers what Dreamland could be like in the hands of a
committed operator – this Concept Plan should raise a few eyebrows.”

The Vision for Dreamland
is backed by Philip Miller, Managing Director of Southend’s popular Adventure
Island theme park, which attracts 1.5 million visitors a year. Miller, who has
been trying to acquire Dreamland for almost two years, has already publicly
pledged £10m on new rides and attractions.

The Concept Plan has been
designed by Paris-based theme park designer, Jean-Marc Toussaint, who has acted
for many of the world’s leading theme park operators, including Parc Asterix,
owned by Grévin & Cie.

Nick Laister says: “When
Jean-Marc offered to create a Concept Plan for Dreamland - to show what the park
could be like should it be acquired by one of the interested theme park
operators - we jumped at the chance. Jean-Marc delivered his Concept Plan to the
Save Dreamland Campaign on 20 February 2005. We think his plan for Dreamland is
fantastic, and we quickly adopted it as our vision. This Concept Plan is what
Dreamland might look like if our Campaign is successful. Just think what a boost
this would be for Margate!”

Jean-Marc Toussaint, like
so many other people, could see beyond the park's current 'artificial' run-down
appearance: "I really fell in love with the park when I first visited it five
years ago. Despite its worn-out carnival look, I immediately saw the potential
in its excellent location by the sea front."

The park's heritage is
also a major consideration, so Jean-Marc's Concept Plan retains the Scenic
Railway (which all operators have confirmed they will do) but it would also see
the return of the Water Chute and River Caves, albeit modern versions of these
much-loved Dreamland rides. Jean-Marc says: "The idea is to leave the current
'concrete slab' way behind us and go back to the pre-Godden era, with grass,
bushes, floral arrangements trees and several bodies of water (fountains, lakes,
rivers...), all connected together by a theme that's understandable by
everybody."

The launch of the
Campaign’s vision for Dreamland comes just after the announcement that the park
will open for the 2005 season, operated by leading showman Harry Ayers. But the
park’s future is still far from secure, having been sold in March 2005 to a
Newbury-based property developer, which has already publicly proposed a
development of shops and houses. Nick Laister believes that the park’s future is
now almost entirely within the hands of Thanet District Council.

“The site cannot be
redeveloped without planning permission from Thanet District Council. The people
of Margate, through the recent public consultations, have overwhelmingly shown
that they want to retain the site in tourism use, ideally as an amusement park.
We also have several established operators who have publicly stated that they
would be prepared to acquire the site and invest millions of pounds in new rides
and attractions. Residential and retail development will be completely
unacceptable on the site. It is a valuable tourist asset and the people of
Margate will not see it disappear without a fight. Thanet District Council will
be playing a very dangerous game if it does not make this clear to the new
owners.

"So far Thanet District
Council has failed to listen to the views of its residents and provide firm
leadership on this matter, so I hope that the Inspector's Report into the Local
Plan Inquiry will provide clear guidance.”

The Save Dreamland
Campaign will be formally issuing the new Concept Plan to Thanet District
Council as a submission to the current Local Development Framework consultation.

"The Save Dreamland
Campaign calls on Thanet District Council to do what other seaside resorts have
done and protect the town’s most important tourist attraction in the Local Plan.
Margate's residents and businesses are fed up of the uncertainty that this
council has created for the resort. We need the Council to publicly back Margate
as a seaside resort, and we need this backing quickly, so that confidence can
return to the town."

High
resolution images of some of the rides shown can also be downloaded from the
above web page.

The Save
Dreamland Campaign was launched in 2003 to save the Dreamland Pleasure Park,
Margate, home of the UK’s oldest roller coaster, the 84-year-old listed Scenic
Railway. Dreamland’s new owner proposes to replace the park with a “leisure,
retail and residential development”. The Campaign is led by planning expert Nick
Laister, a leading authority on amusement parks, planning consultant, publisher
and editor of
www.joylandbooks.com, the specialist amusement park bookstore. The Campaign
is now speaking on behalf of 13,000 people, including local residents,
businesses and organisations such as the Margate Historical Society, Margate
Civic Society, the Margate Hotel and Guest House Association, European Coaster
Club, Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain and SAVE Britain’s Heritage.

The
Public Inquiry into the Thanet Local Plan opened on 14 April 2004. Two
Inspectors (Mr Harold Stephens and Mr Nicholas Hammans) were appointed to
conduct the Inquiry. The future of Dreamland was considered on 29 June 2004. The
Inspector’s Report is expected in October 2005.

Nick
Laister BA (Hons) DipTP MRTPI MIHT MIPI is a leading authority on UK amusement
parks and editor of the web site www.joylandbooks.com. He is a Chartered Town
Planner and Technical Director with the RPS Group plc, the UK’s largest planning
consultancy, where he specialises in planning for tourism and leisure. He has
been involved in bringing forward numerous major developments across the UK, and
has appeared as expert witness at several public inquiries and hearings. He has
written articles for a number of newspapers and journals and has been invited to
speak at conferences on the subject of planning for tourism and leisure.
nick@savedreamland.co.uk.

Jean-Marc Toussaint has worked as creative consultant and theming/ride designer
for several leading theme park organisations such as Grévin & Cie, International
Amusement Alliance, Soquet Rides, Pax Design and The Coaster Works. He has also
recently acted as the main creative consultant for the development of the
masterplan of Admiral Vrungel’s Adventure Park in Gelendjik, Russia.

Dreamland Pleasure Park is located at Belgrave Road, Margate. The telephone
number is 01843 227011.